39 arrested in police crime crackdown

Police in Kamonyi District conducted an operation and arrested 39 people, who include drug dealers and loiterers.

The cordon and search was conducted in Runda Sector in Kamuhanda trading centre where three of those arrested are charged with drug related crimes.

Over 1120 rolls of cannabis were also recovered in one house of a woman identified as Sarah Umutoniwase, who is still at large.

Other suspects arrested in connection with the recovered narcotics are Innocent Ahorukomeye, 18, a student, Jean Daniel Ndayikengurukiye 25, a cyclist and Silas Uwishaka 26, who is a taxi driver in Kamonyi.

The drug suspects are detained at Ruyenzi Police Station while others were taken to Kayenzi Transit Centre for screening.

Police in Kamonyi said the operation aimed at cracking down the crime ring, especially in Runda Sector where most crimes are reported.

Most of the crimes reported are drug related. Police has been carrying out awareness campaigns to combat the drug vice in the country, which has seen a number of criminals arrested and prosecuted and drugs seized and destroyed.

Supt. Emmanuel Ngondo, the head of the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit, said that 3, 384 people were arrested last year in connection with drug related crimes, 2, 566 of them being the youth aged between 18 and 35.

Drugs are said to be brought into the country from the neighbouring countries through illegal borders.

Drugs are said to be having side-effects to the users, with about 22.6 percent of all patients received last year by the psychiatric hospital of Ndera who had mental problems caused by drug abuse.

According to Supt. Ngondo, the vice is on the decrease due to the measures initiated to combat it.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 200 million people worldwide abuse drugs at least once a year, of which 25 million are declared addicted.

Each year, 2.5 million people die globally from drug abuse-related illnesses. Rwanda National Police calls for stronger partnership with the Rwandan community especially parents and Guardian to continue sharing information in order to deter and detect drug users and trafficking.